Lithium Takes Charge - Supply And Demand Reviewed

The non-metallurgical market for lithium is one of those in the industrial minerals world that is characterised by a small group of suppliers chasing very few high volume markets and many low volume, niche sectors. The emergence of lithium carbonate sources from brines as an alternative product to hard rock ore concentrates has raised the stakes in an already tight market. A forecast increase in demand for the material from a new generation of lithium batteries could further intensify competition between the limited number of producers.